NMU Parents,
Below is a copy of the email that NMU students received yesterday (Friday, May 8) about the application process opening for the CARES Act emergency grants, which are part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund federal monies. Eligible students can receive up to $700 in grant funding to cover costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to apply is May 25. The grants will be distributed shortly after that date. You will note that the U.S. Department of Education has specified a number of requirements with the most critical one being that the student has filled out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year that just ended or the upcoming academic year. Students who have not filled out a FAFSA for one of the academic years can still do so -- and should -- so that they can receive this funding. Northern used a portion of these federal dollars to cover the requests of eligible students who had applied for the 2020 Student Wildcat Relief Fund but were not approved in the first round of funding because those monies were exhausted. But the students who received Wildcat Relief funding still apply for the remainder of the $700 maximum of the CARES Act. For instance if they received $300 for their Wildcat Relief Fund request, they can still apply for $400 in CARES Act grant funding to reach the $700 maximum. The CARES Act funding is going directly to students. It is not being applied to any balance the student has with the University. If your student has questions, they should contact the NMU Financial Aid Office (fao@nmu.edu or 906-227-2327) or the Student Service Center (ssc@nmu.edu or 906-227-1221).

These funds come with some federal restrictions established by the U.S. Department of Education. You are eligible if:

You are enrolled in the Winter 2020 semester.

You were not exclusively enrolled in online courses prior to the start of the COVID-19 crisis. (Global Campus student are not eligible, per this federal restriction).

You have filed a 2019-20 or 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you have not filed a FAFSA, we suggest you do so as soon as possible at www.fafsa.gov so that you can be considered for CARES Act emergency grant eligibility.

You are eligible to receive Federal Title IV financial aid programs (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, Federal Work Student). The criteria for Title IV program eligibility include, but are not limited to:

Must be admitted into an eligible degree or certificate program.

Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Must be meeting university satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards (NMU’s full SAP policy can be reviewed at www.nmu.edu/finaidsap).

Cannot be currently in default on prior federal student loans.

Male students must be registered with Selective Service if 18 years old or older.

The Department of Education continues to release additional guidance, so we will keep reviewing student eligibility as new information becomes available to us.

Our goal is to make this funding available to as many eligible students as possible. We hope this assists those who are in financial need due to the pandemic, and that it helps students recover unexpected costs.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the NMU Financial Aid Office at fao@nmu.edu or call 906-227-2327.